"How do I break it to her?" Naruto muttered, brushing through the crowds milling about in Konoha. "Should I be happy? Sad? Should I open with a joke?" He shook his head. "No, I have to be serious..." He winced and stopped in the middle of the street, causing the other pedestrians to mutter angrily as they stepped around him. "Who do I tell her as?" He moaned, running his fingers through his hair. "As Naruko? Or me? Would she want to see Naruko one last time, or would it be mean to trick her like that?" He started walking again, but his pace was considerably slower.

He looked up and saw Hinata weaving through the crowd of people as well. She was in a daze, staring at the ground vacantly and only looking up to murmur an apology to whomever she bumped into. Naruto ducked behind a telephone pole, grimacing. I...I can't do this! He shakily raised his middle and index fingers in front of his face, and Naruko emerged from a cloud of smoke. She fluffed her hair - which was no longer in ponytails, and instead flowing down her back and over her shoulders - absentmindedly and set off for Hinata.

"Hina-chan!" She squealed, waving her hand and bouncing on the balls of her feet. Instantly, Hinata perked up.

"N-N-" Hinata stammered, taking a few shaky steps towards her. "Naru-chan!" She embraced Naruko, tears streaming down her face. "It's so good to see you!"

Naruko grinned nervously. "Y-you too, Hinata-chan..." She patted the kunoichi's head affectionately. "I missed you."

Hinata looked up and smiled. "You did? I missed you too." She drew away and put her hands on Naruko's shoulders. "I have so much to tell you..." She frowned and tugged at the black robe wrapped across Naruko's torso, her eyes traveling down to the orange obi tied around her stomach. "Why are you wearing a yukata?"

Crap! I wasn't thinking at all! Why the hell did I go with a kimono? Naruto fumed. "Ah - I just came back from a party, y'know?" She smiled.

Luckily for Naruto, Hinata wasn't in the mood for pointless suspicions. "I saw a little tea shop down the road. Could we go -"

"I was thinking the park actually." Naruko cut in.

Hinata frowned slightly. "The park?" She echoed. "Why?"

Because when I tell you, I don't want a bunch of people watching...Naruto muttered inwardly, but Naruko spread her arms and wiggled her fingers. "Because I love being outside, and it's such a great day, right?"

Hinata brightened immediately. "You're right!" She looked up at the sky. White tufts of clouds swirling in the endless blue expanse. "It's so nice..."

Naruko grasped her hand. "Let's go."

Hinata braced herself, expecting Naruko to bolt off over enthusiastically, but instead the young woman walked slowly. She blinked and looked at Naruko. "Naru-chan...?" Naruko looked over. "Is everything...alright?"

Naruko forced her mouth into a melancholy smile. "Of course!"

The park Naruko mentioned was small with a generous amount of trees. It had originally been training grounds for ninja, but had been opened to the public once new grounds were open. One could still seeing the remnants of the thick logs used for target practice, and rusted kunai and shuriken were scattered around the edges of the clearing. The sky was a gentle, light blue swirled with faint wisps of white clouds that shifted whenever the breeze arose. The air was sweet with the scent of oncoming spring.

"Hinata-chan, I really like you..." Naruko began gently. She swung her hand as she walked, her fingers intertwined with Hinata's.

"I-I like you too, Naru-chan." Hinata pulled wildflowers from the clumps of grass as they moved across the field. She raised each blossoms to her nose to smell it, and smiled at the light, earthy aromas.

"I know." Naruko smiled. "And that's why...that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Hinata released Naruko's hand, sat down and leaned against a moss covered tree trunk. She spread her bundle of flowers out across her lap, resting them in the dipping folds of her jacket. Naruko looked down. Hinata's hands were steady as she began to weave the stems of the flowers together. The nervous jitters were gone, but she still looked pale and thin. Every glance at the girl reminded Naruto of his task.

"You're a wonderful person, Hinata-chan."

Hinata smiled at Naruko. A faint blush spread across her cheeks, giving her face some healthy color. "Th-thank you!" She looked down at her work, the smile lingering on her lips. "You're always so kind, Naru-chan." She murmured.

"I'm not as great as you think, Hinata-chan." Naruko mumbled.

Hinata looked up, concerning flashing in her eyes. "What?"

"Hinata-chan..." Naruko knelt down next to her and pulled a flower from the ground. It's now or never. Naruto told himself. Naruko pulled a petal from the flower and twirled in her fingers. "I have something to tell you..."

Hinata's look of concern grew, accompanied with a hopeless melancholy. "What?"

"I..."

I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I'm Naruto-kun. Naru-san isn't real - she's me.

Hinata dropped her flowers and put a hand on Naruko's thigh, leaning forward. "Naru...chan...?"

"You deserve better!" Naruko blurted, dropping her own flower. She jerked away from Hinata and moved to stand.

"Wha-what?" Hinata asked. Her eyes widened and her face paled.

"I mean, you're the daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga, right?" In his urgency, Naruto was loosing the eloquence that usually came easily to him whenever he transformed into Naruko. "Wouldn't it be embarrassing to your clan - to your father - to you? - if people found out you were..." Naruko blushed. She was babbling, and this wasn't what she'd come to say. This wasn't what she wanted to say or even needed to say. "You were..."

"Naru-chan..." Hinata's eyes opened wider, pleading. "Are you embarrassed by this? ...By me?"

"No! No, I'm - I love you, I just -"

Hinata let out a gasp. "You do?"

"I -" Naruko swallowed. "I..."

Hinata hugged her. "I love you too, Naru-chan."

Naruko fidgeted and moved to hug her, but she tensed and put her hands on Hinata shoulders instead.

No. I have to...I have to do this.

"Hinata-chan -"

Hinata cocked her head, and Naruko struggled to ignore the ever shrinking distance between their lips.

I've never kissed her as myself...I - Naruto has never kissed her.

"I'm not who you thinking I am." Naruto managed to blurt finally.

Hinata blinked. "Naru-chan...What...?"

Naruko's grip tightened on her shoulders. It was painful to look her in the eyes and know that every moment they shared was born from a lie. It had always hurt, but now the ache was all too apparent, and it sent gentle shudders through Naruko. Watching Hinata smile and laugh and stare at her with those pale purple eyes, that innocent stare...

I can't take this anymore.

I can't lie.

Hinata flinched as Naruko exploded into a plume of smoke, her lips parting slightly in a silent shriek. She rubbed her eyes and coughed slightly as the haze cleared and found herself staring into the cheery countenance of...

"Naruto-kun?" She gaped. She jerked backwards, noticing how close they were. "Where...where's Naru-chan?" Her face was turning red and the air of relaxation around her disappeared. "Why are you here? And what - what's going on? I don't..." Hinata gripped the flower chain, crushing the slender stalks. "P-please a-answer me, Naruto-kun! I - I don't..."

"Actually, her name's Naruko." Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "And...I'm her...Well, she's me, I mean. I can transform -" Hinata jumped to her feet and looked around. "Hinata...chan?" Naruto mumbled, rising as well.

"Wh-where is she, Naruto-kun?" Hinata stammered, her eyes flicking to him occasionally as she scanned the clearing. "Where's Naru-chan?"

"It's Naruko-chan, actually." He mumbled.

"N-Naruto-kun! P-please d-don't joke around a-anymore!" Hinata wrung the flower chain in her hands, her nervous fingers twitching and skittering in place. "Wh-where is she?"

Naruto opened his mouth to reply before pausing, stepping back and raising his middle and index fingers to his chest. It took moments to gather his chakra, and he summoned a Naruko clone several feet behind Hinata dressed in the same baggy jumpsuit as her creator.

"Hinata-chan!" She called. Her voice was terse and formal, not the jubilant squeal Naruko usually spoke with, and the call was to draw attention, not greet.

Hinata whirled around. "Naru - !" She cut herself off, noticing the familiar jacket and sweatpants. "Wh-why are you d-dressed as...as...N-Naruto-kun?" Her eyebrows knitted together and she gave Naruko a sad smile. "Is - is this a joke, Naru-chan? It-it's n-not funny."

Naruko brushed past Hinata and stood next to Naruto. "It's true, Hinata-chan. I'm just a clone."

"No!" Hinata shouted. She too raised her index and middle fingers, and squinted her eyes. "Y-you're lying! My Byakugan will prove it!"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah! That'll show I'm right!" He turned to Naruko for confirmation, but only received a sobering glare.

"Do it, Hinata-chan." She urged, drawing herself to her full height.

"I will!" Hinata cried. She swallowed heavily. "Bya..." She bit her lip, and closed her eyes. "Bya..." Hinata's lip trembled and she used her free hand to wipe her eyes hurriedly. "Byaku-" Hinata shook her head, cutting off the jutsu. "No! I won't! You're not - You can't be!"

"Hinata-chan..." Naruko sighed.

"Hinata-chan, it's true!" Naruto insisted, stepping forward.

"No!" Hinata's voice had risen to a hysterical scream. "Y-you're wrong! You - you idiot!" She grabbed the flower chain and hurled it at Naruto. He stopped as it bounced off his chest. "You're lying! It's not true! It's not!" She turned and ran from the clearing. Her voice echoed across the grass, "It's not true! It's not true!"